Johannes Patruus wrote:
> ChoirMan wrote:
> > Dear Latinists,
> >
> > Easter is coming soon, and I found a bouncy Praetorius carol-like
> > piece for the feast. It has three verses, with my attempted
> > translation below. I'd be very grateful for your expert fine-tuning.
> >
> > Thank you!
> >
> > - ChoirMan
> >
> > * * *
> >
> > Surrexit Christus Dominus
> > Mundi redemptor unicus
> > Hoc scimus docti ab angelis
> > Qui nunciarunt foeminis. Alleluia!
>
> > Christ the Lord has risen,
> > The one redeemer of the world
> > We know this because the angels were there,
> > Who spoke to the women. Praise the Lord!
>
> 'docti' (< doctus < doceo) - plural perfect passive participle - "having
> been taught, instructed, etc." by the angels.
>
> 'nunciarent' is more specific than "spoke". Rather, "informed,
> announced, declared, etc." -
> http://archimedes.fas.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/dict?word=nuntio&name=ls
>
> -----------
>
> > Surrexit *** victoria,
> > Mortis fracta potentia;
> > Lustrate sepulcri spe***,
> > Cernetis solum linteum. Alleluia!
>
> > He has risen with victory,
> > Broken the power of death,
> > Brought light to the tomb,
> > ? Praise the Lord!
>
> 'Lustrate' (< lustro) is a plural imperative. Perhaps: "Inspect the cave
> of the tomb".
>
> 'Cernetis solum linteum' - "You will see (or discern) only the linen."
>
> Note that the second line contains an ablative absolute, so literally:
> "the power of death having been broken."
>
> ------------
>
> > Is nobis regnat jugiter
> > Vita perennis arbiter
> > Dat lucem et justitiam
> > Salutem et mundiciam. Alleluia!
>
> > He is our king [it really says "Is nobis" on the score - could
that
> > be a copyist's typo?]
> > Through him comes eternal life
> > He gives light and justice,
> > Salvation and generosity. Praise the Lord!
>
> 'Is' = he.
> 'regnat' = reigns, rules, etc.
> 'nobis' - presumably a dative meaning "for us", "over us", etc.
> 'jugiter' = perpetually, etc.
> 'mundiciam' = purity. (Related to the adjective 'mundus' = pure.)
>
> The second line of this stanza is not clear. Reading "vitae" for "vita"
> would give "The arbiter (or judge, ruler, governor, etc.) of eternal
> life". But with "vita" I'm not sure how to construe it.
Almost certainly someone read vita for vitae. Even in printed books the
ae ligature is sometimes almost indistinguishable from the bare "a." The
only other possibility is vita in the ablative, but that would be
difficult to construe.
>
> Bouncily,
>
> Patruus
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